Reviewed by C. Smith for Readers' Favorite

“The Russians Are Coming!: Fourteen Months in the Life of the Town” follows the lives of six Russian immigrants who make their mark on the town they have chosen as home. Marina, a beauty, lonely and single, works as a teaching assistant at the University. Nina and Vlad are a happy married couple with two young children. Their love for one another is strong and everlasting. Gleb and Vera are married, but only as a formality. Gleb is an entrepreneur and a schemer while Vera is a talented artist. Ruslan is a sincere and intelligent young man, determined to keep his integrity, in spite of the inequities of those around him. Stolen glances, clandestine romance, drama, heartbreak, and joy all bring the story together as the Russians settle into their American lives. They learn to live with the prejudices and to change the opinions of some Americans who haven’t shaken their fear and loathing of Russians from the political tumult of the past.

Love is in the air, though, and oh my, it shakes things up! A roller coaster of new found love crashes its way through the story, uniting and dividing the Russians and the Americans they have come to know and love and distrust as well. Lily Alex begins with a modest tone, and allows the excitement to build throughout the story, bringing it to a rousing and delightful end. I am expecting a sequel to come after this as there is so much more to be told of the Russians, the new relationships they have established, and what lies in their futures.